title: Best practices in bioinformatics training for life scientists.
abstract: The mountains of data thrusting from the new landscape of modern high-throughput biology are irrevocably changing biomedical research and creating a near-insatiable demand for training in data management and manipulation and data mining and analysis. Among life scientists, from clinicians to environmental researchers, a common theme is the need not just to use, and gain familiarity with, bioinformatics tools and resources but also to understand their underlying fundamental theoretical and practical concepts. Providing bioinformatics training to empower life scientists to handle and analyse their data efficiently, and progress their research, is a challenge across the globe. Delivering good training goes beyond traditional lectures and resource-centric demos, using interactivity, problem-solving exercises and cooperative learning to substantially enhance training quality and learning outcomes. In this context, this article discusses various pragmatic criteria for identifying training needs and learning objectives, for selecting suitable trainees and trainers, for developing and maintaining training skills and evaluating training quality. Adherence to these criteria may help not only to guide course organizers and trainers on the path towards bioinformatics training excellence but, importantly, also to improve the training experience for life scientists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Sapienza University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. allegra.via@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Allegra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Via
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Blicher
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bongcam-Rudloff
authors.forename: Michelle D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Brazas
authors.forename: Cath
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brooksbank
authors.forename: Aidan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Budd
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Las Rivas
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dreyer
authors.forename: Pedro L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Celia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van Gelder
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: Rafael C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Jimenez
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Loveland
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.forename: Tommi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nyrönen
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rother
authors.forename: Maria Victoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Teresa K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Attwood
mesh_terms: D001690:Biological Science Disciplines / Q000193:education*; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000193:education*; D003479:Curriculum; D057225:Data Mining; D003628:Database Management Systems; D011381:Programming Languages; D012985:Software Design; D013663:Teaching
keywords: bioinformatics; bioinformatics courses; train the trainers; training; training life scientists